The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape is facing a civil claim of R10 million in the East London High Court brought against the party by one of its own.
Ntombentle Rulumeni is demanding R10 million from the party for allegedly humiliating her and undermining her diginity. She claims that the DA interviewed her in a toilet in East London Golf Course for a ward councillor position for the 2016 Local Government Elections – a position she did not get.
After the incident, she then approached the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) which ruled in her favour.
Rulumeni told the court that she left private sector after a decade of working to join the DA in 2011. Before the 2016 election, she had aspirations of being a ward councillor in the Buffalo City Metro. Her application was rejected.
She claims that when she approached the party to inquire about why she failed the interview, she was told she had lied about raising funds for the DA during the interview. She says she was not convinced, and produced evidence as well as documents of her fundraising work for the party.
According to her, she was then reluctantly called for another interview at the East London Golf Course during an induction programme for prospective DA councillors. She says two DA senior officials escorted her to the toilet where she found a table and two chairs. Upon her arrival, she claims officials explained the rules of the interview and gave her only five minutes to prepare.
Rulumeni says she felt humiliated by the experience.
“That was a very sad day for myself. I was humiliated, and I was wondering why are they even doing this to me, because they say they are the custodians of the Constitution and they are in the position of authority as DA MPs. They know what the Constitution says. They are the custodians, and I was asking myself why are they doing this to me? This was what was going on in my mind.”
Rulumeni says after few days, she was told she had failed the interview. She says she devastated and approached the Human Rights Commission.
“I’m very much disappointed with the party, because this is not what I was expecting from them. I expected a lot from because they presented themselves as the only party that can bring about change in South Africa. So, when I complained to Human Rights that they were going to see their mistake and come forward and apologise, but instead they sent papers saying they are defending the DA MPs.”
Eastern Cape DA Provincial Leader, Nqaba Bhanga says they will wait for a court outcome.
“Any person has a right to take an individual or any institution to court, and I think we must all wait for the court and the court outcome, and then as the DA, we will deal with the decision that the court has taken and then inform the South Africans of the way forward.”
The case will continue on Friday as two more witnesses are expected to take the stand.
